Contributors

Tom Parker Bowles is a food writer and broadcaster. He has most recently been seen on ITV’s Food Glorious Food, as a judge alongside Lloyd Grossman, Anne Harrison and Stacie Stewart. Tom’s first book, E is for Eating – An Alphabet in Greed, was published in 2004. Since then he has had three further books published and in 2010 was the recipient of the Guild of Food Writers Award for Best Work on British Food.

Bite-sized Questions
What has been your mostmemorable dining experience?
Too many to mention. I'm spoilt. Some days, a perfect taco al pastor from A Mexico City hole in the wall. Other, some vast and endless tasting menu. At the moment, I'd find it pretty hard to beat Central in Lima.
Is there anything you wouldnevertry?
Goat's cheese. Anything else is fine.
What’s your favourite comfort food?
Probably cottage pie. Or a seriously spicy noodle soup.
If you had to eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I...

An American journalist based in Tokyo and specialising in gastronomy, Melinda is also a certified saké and wine professional. She explores Japanese drinks in her column for The Japan Times and writes about restaurants and food trends in Asia for The Wall Street Journal Asia and CNN. Melinda travels extensively in the name of food and drink and her experience as a journalist has seen her travel through culinary capitals around the world.

Bite-sized Questions
What has been your mostmemorable dining experience?
After several expensive yet disappointing meals in Beijing, stumbling upon a young man grilling lamb skewers over hot coals set into a hole in the wall -- literally. The skewers were delicious and reminded me of how amazing simple food can be.
In the name of food research, is there anything you wouldnevertry?
No, except maybe monkey brains.
What’s your favourite comfort food?
Cantonese salty fish, rice, and Chinese sausage.
If you had to eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would...

In 2003 Aimee swapped Manchester for Paris as she embarked upon her ‘year abroad’; an integral part of her French Studies degree. She never came back. After completing her degree at the University of London Institute in Paris, Aimee moved to the continent in 2003. She worked in public affairs for a large ‘solutions provider’ in the pharmaceutical field before realising that this left a bad taste in her mouth. In search of her appetite, she took to translating as a way of honing her writing skills. Once she had become sufficiently annoyed with bettering other peoples’ work, she decided she should take up the plume herself. Unsure what to write about, she thought it best to start with what she knows: eating, living in France and latterly being a mother. She is also a voice-over artist and an ambassador for the city of Lyon, where she now lives with her partner Olivier and their son Reuben-Miles. To her great dismay, she is somewhat of a hit-and-miss chef and a complete disaster in the baking department.

Bite-sized Questions
What has been your most memorable dining experience?
Dining at the French Senate and feeling incredibly underdressed and self-conscious. But I've never had wine like it since!
Is there anything you wouldnevertry?
Offal (do eyeballs count as offal? I wouldn't eat them either!), insectsor any kind of preserved egg.
What’s your favourite comfort food?
Bacon cheeseburger with home cut and fried chips with lashings of ketchup.
If you had to eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Mashed potatoes and carrots with fresh garden...

Sylvie Augereau was born in Loire Valley and still resides there today. A wine journalist for international publications, including GQ and Fool and French titles Carnet de Vigne (Hachette 2007, 2009, 2010), Le Nouvel Observateur and La Revue du Vin de, Sylvie is also a vine worker.

Bite-sized Questions
What has been your most memorable dining experience?
L’Agapé Substance (Paris) when David Toutain was there.
In the name of food research, is there anything you wouldnevertry?
Humans.
What’s your favourite comfort food?
Beurre blanc.
If you had to eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Pasta-capers-tomato-parmesan.
After a long week, what’s your tipple of choice?
Hermitage from Jean-Louis Chave.
What are the three finer things in life that you secretly indulge in?
Anchovies, wild oysterset chocolates fromHirsinger...